Life: A Once-in-an-Eon Opportunity

The Preciousness of This Human Life

It is said that it is difficult to obtain a human body, yet you have now obtained one. It is difficult to hear the Buddha’s teachings, yet you have now heard them. It is even more difficult to encounter the Pure Land path, yet you have now encountered it. My children, you must seize this rare opportunity to possess a human life, to listen to the Buddha’s teachings, and to walk the path of the Pure Land. Do not let your time slip through your fingers like sand. Life, once departed, does not return; it cannot be summoned back, and its traces are nowhere to be found.

This life is like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, or a shadow. It is transient and fragile. Therefore, you must use this temporary, illusory body to cultivate the truth and to realise your true self. This is the highest value of your existence in this world. You must never squander it lightly.

The Dangers of the Illusory World

Many young lives today are led astray by curiosity. They become addicted to the internet and other illusory worlds, losing themselves in the process. In doing so, they become targets for control by karmic creditors or demon crowds. This leads to physical and mental abnormalities, and in the most tragic cases, the loss of life itself. When I speak of demon crowds, I am referring to beings whose spiritual life has deviated from the right path and who possess a demon nature.

These young lives come into this world due to their own causal conditions and the laws of karma and cause and effect. Their presence in this world is like a flower that blooms for a brief moment, only to fade away, leaving behind a trail of regrets that can never be undone. My children, save yourselves, and only then can you save others.

The Path of True Cultivation

You must begin by using the Precepts to discipline yourself. Only when you have achieved success in the practice of Precepts (Discipline), Concentration and Wisdom can you truly progress. In particular, once your meditative concentration is firmly established, you will be able to see your true nature. Only then will you be truly qualified to enter the world to save it. You will use wisdom to counteract ignorance and confusion, ensuring that you are not deceived by the various illusions of this world, which would otherwise lead you to create negative karma.

The world is filled with layer upon layer of illusions. How many young students, inexperienced in the ways of the world, have become so deeply addicted to these illusions that they find it impossible to extricate themselves? You now know that what is called being lost, being confused, or losing control of one's behaviour is, in reality, the scattering of one's soul. It means that your spiritual life is being controlled by external or internal demon nature, leaving you unable to act with autonomy. At the end of such a path, one often finds that both body and mind have been destroyed in the human world, while the spirit is left to suffer in the hells of another realm.

Gratitude and the Mission at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre

My children, that you have been able to grow to this point—whether you are young, middle-aged, or elderly—is the result of the immense care, teaching, and protection provided by your parents and teachers. It is the result of your own exploration, experience, and reflection amidst the conditions of this world. It is only through these that you have the great fortune to be here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre today. You are now under the protection of the Buddha, your teachers, and Practitioner Su, and you have no need to worry about the future. You need only focus on your diligent practice, break free from the control of the cycle of reincarnation and karma, and rediscover your true self.

Once you have found your true self, you must then go forth to help the vast and boundless number of beings who are in need of assistance. This supreme path to liberation is one that you have now encountered. You must cherish it and make good use of it. There are many beings connected by karmic affinity who are waiting for you to achieve success in your practice, for only then will they have the chance to be saved, to leave suffering behind, and to find liberation.

Namo Amituofo